Jo-Wilfried Tsonga News
The Frenchman is a two-time ATP Masters 1000 champion
With the win, 33-year-old Nadal has now improved his ATP Head-to-Head rivalry against Tsonga to 10-4.
Tsonga, who was once ranked as high as world number five but is now 70th, looked sharp but will have his work cut out for him in the second round when he faces second-seeded Karen Khachanov.
With the win, Wawrinka has now set up an intriguing semi-final clash against top seed Kei Nishikori at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
A teary-eyed Andy Murray signalled the Australian Open could be his last professional tournament on Friday, with the pain of his right hip proving unbearable.
France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn from next week's Lyon Open and the French Open later this month after failing to recover from knee surgery.
Australia's Nick Kyrgios won an electric four-setter with his idol Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to advance to the round of 16 at the Australian Open on Friday.
There was a time when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was one of the new kids bounding on to the block, swinging from the hip and shaking up the established hierarchy in men’s tennis.
The 32-year-old, who was the 2008 Australian Open runner-up to Novak Djokovic, is still expected to play in the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year at Melbourne Park, which starts on January 15.
Tsonga hoped to become a national hero on Sunday but instead lost his composure in a bitter end to the match after a disputed call in the third set, triggering huge boos from the 27,000 crowd.
David Goffin had mercilessly swept aside close friend Lucas Pouille to give outsiders Belgium the first point at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Nine-time champions France had booked their place in the November 24-26 final, which they will now host, by seeing off Serbia in their semi-final in Lille.
They will face either Belgium or Australia in the final, with Lleyton Hewitt`s visitors leading 2-1 in Brussels.
Several other players were also seen swatting away the ants, but French 12th seed Tsonga had an especially intimate encounter when one flew up his nose and another into his ear.
Tsonga, the 12th seed, was dumped out in the second round last year but was never forced out of second gear as he swatted Norrie aside on Court Two.
Dimitrov insisted he tuned out all the drama involving the other top seeds in case it affected his focus.
Tsonga, who lost to Andy Murray in the 2011 Queen's final, could be one of the major threats to world number one Murray, who is seeking a sixth championship triumph.
The 32-year-old Tsonga will open his campaign at Roland Garros -- where he twice reached the semi-finals -- against Argentine Renzo Olivo, a first round casualty in Lyon.
The 31-year-old world number ten -- winner of back-to-back tournaments at Marseille and Rotterdam in February -- pulled out of the Miami tournament a week ago to be present for the birth alongside his partner Noura El Shwekh.
In Saturday's semi-final he will face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who thumped compatriot Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-1.
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